WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he is considering canceling a planned series of concerts on Washington's National Mall commemorating the nation's 250th anniversary after a string of artists withdrew from the event, and replacing them with a speech and political-style rally instead.The concerts were planned as part of the larger Great American State Fair, ‌a 16-day ⁠event running ⁠from June 25 to July 10, 2026. Organizers said the fair, organized by the Freedom ​250 group, would stretch on the National Mall from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument, ​with concert stages, state pavilions, exhibits, rides, and other attractions spread across the Mall.But the musical lineup has been hit by a series of cancellations. On Friday, ​Bret Michaels, the lead singer of the rock band ⁠Poison, became ‌the fifth performer to withdraw from the concerts, saying that ​the event ​was not the nonpartisan celebration that he thought it would be.Organizers ⁠have not publicly detailed the reasons for the departures, though ​the exits have raised questions about the viability of ​the event as originally envisioned.Also read | US defence secretary Hegseth chides Europe, hails ties with China & Asia alliesIn a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump suggested the concert series may no longer be necessary if performers continue to back out. He floated the possibility of giving a speech on the National Mall instead, portraying himself as a more powerful draw than any musical act."The ‌fact is that I am, according to many, the Number One Attraction anywhere in the World," Trump wrote. He added ​that he gets "much larger ​audiences than Elvis ⁠in his prime" and "does so without a guitar."The president said he is "ordering my Representatives to look at the feasibility of doing an AMERICA IS BACK Rally."Freedom 250 ​is a public-private partnership created by the White House to coordinate celebrations of the United States' 250th anniversary alongside federal agencies.Also read | US 'more than capable' of resuming Iran war: HegsethIt remains unclear whether replacement musicians will be recruited, or whether Trump's proposal to substitute a rally for the performances is being seriously considered by organizers.